Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) 2018 Applications Now Open

Calling all Jamaican entrepreneurs! Applications for the 2018 YLAI Professional Fellowship Program now open!

The Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative empowers entrepreneurs to strengthen their capacity to launch and advance their entrepreneurial ideas and effectively contribute to social and economic development in their communities. The program builds prosperity by connecting youth to entrepreneurship.

The program – sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center is a fully-funded fellowship which will allow the 2018 participants to travel to the U.S. for five weeks to strengthen their capacity to launch and advance their entrepreneurial ideas, build networks, and create lasting partnerships. Fellows will also contribute to social and economic development in their communities.

The 250 young business and social entrepreneurs are from over twenty-eight countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and have received individualized, “mentored” fellowships at appropriate/counterpart businesses or civil society organizations at one of eighteen cities throughout the United States. Participants will benefit from interaction with entrepreneurship experts, participation in skill building workshops, and ongoing support through networking, mentorship, and investment opportunities.

Visit ylai.state.gov/apply to learn more about the program and the requirements. Applications close on March 4.